In a dramatic early release on ITVX, Emmerdale has unveiled the full, shocking truth behind the death of John Sugden, with his sister Victoria making a devastating confession.
The Aftermath of the Corriedale Crash
The fallout from the catastrophic multi-vehicle collision that bridged the worlds of Emmerdale and Coronation Street continued to unfold. The crash, which occurred on January 6, 2026, involved numerous residents from both soaps after John Sugden, played by Oliver Farnworth, deliberately let go of his car's steering wheel.
With Aaron Dingle (Danny Miller) unable to intervene from the passenger seat while holding a gun, the vehicle ploughed into another car carrying Lisa, Becky, and Betsy Swain. The incident also ensnared other characters including Billy Mayhew, Mackenzie Boyd, and Cain and Moira Dingle.
Victoria's Deadly Confrontation
Following the crash, John fled the scene and was later found dead in the woods, with his sister Victoria (Isabel Hodgins) standing over his body. The latest episode, released early on ITVX, used flashbacks to reveal the chilling sequence of events leading to his demise.
The episode showed that a drugged and desperate John arrived at Victoria's home with a syringe. He planned to sedate Victoria and her son Harry, collect Aaron, and force them all to be together. After being injected, Victoria awoke to a knock at the door from Matty Barton (Ash Palmisciano), who informed her of the major crash, which she instantly knew involved John.
A Fatal Struggle and a Cover-Up
Confronting John in the woods, a physical struggle ensued. Victoria managed to wrestle the syringe from her brother's pocket and stabbed him with it. In a twist mirroring a past village tragedy, John suffered a severe adverse reaction to the drug and died.
Panicked and horrified, Victoria cleaned the syringe and placed it in John's hand to make it look like a self-inflicted accident. Later, in the hospital, her guilt overwhelmed her. After learning John's body had been found, she confessed to Aaron and Robert Sugden (Ryan Hawley) that she was responsible for his death.
Victoria insisted she was certain no one had witnessed her actions. However, this crucial assumption was fatally flawed.
Joe Tate: The Unseen Witness
Unbeknownst to Victoria, she was being watched from a distance. Joe Tate (Ned Porteous), who had driven Robert to find Aaron earlier, was present in the woods and recorded the entire encounter on his mobile phone.
While the exact extent of what Joe captured remains unclear, he had already learned of John's death from Jacob Gallagher (Joe-Warren Plant). It is now highly likely he will piece together Victoria's involvement. As a Tate, his possession of such explosive footage suggests he will undoubtedly seek something in return, placing Victoria in a perilous position.
This early ITVX release sets the stage for a gripping new chapter in Emmerdale, where Victoria's secret hangs in the balance, threatened by the one person who saw everything.
